A Grip on Sports: If the U.S. soccer team keeps rolling along, the players have a chance to rewrite a history dating back 250 years
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Did you know Teddy Roosevelt was one of the Founding Fathers? Me neither. But his name was brought up during a de facto quiz with my basketball team Thursday. Maybe it’s time for a lesson here, just in case some of you don’t think watching the History Channel is fun.
•••••••
• It was a sweltering week in Philadelphia this time back in 1776. How do I know? Every movie ever made about the rebellion brewing in Ben Franklin’s adopted city shows a bunch of guys in powdered wigs sweating like a cold beer glass.
I’m guessing, John Hancock accessed a few of Sam Adams’ favorite brew that July 4 evening after, you know, founding a nation. I wonder, though, if he wrote his signature on the credit card bill that night with the same elan he showed when he and his buddies finally got around to signing the manifesto they had just approved.
Ya, I know. Credit cards weren’t a thing back then. Neither were, actually, many of the sports I write about here.
Baseball? Hah. Football, either type? Not really. Basketball? Nope. Lacrosse, in one form or another, golf and figure skating seem to predate our country, though only the first had a big foothold on the continent. At least among the inhabitants that were here long before Paul Revere’s family arrived.
Speaking of families, did you know there was a Stockton who signed the Declaration of Independence? Richard Stockton. I wonder if his family owned a tavern in New Jersey?
Josiah Bartlett, who, if they ever make a bio-pic about, has to be played by Martin Sheen, was the first person to vote in favor of telling King George to get lost, thus establishing the importance of talking loudly when playing a team sport. And the second to sign, handing out the first recorded assist to Hancock, who finished with his dunk.
• The team assembled in Philadelphia’s most famous building this side of the Palestra will never be forgotten, except by just about everyone. Seriously, I’m guessing most of us can name more members of the U.S. Men’s National Team right now than the folks who put ink to parchment back then.
Mainly because the Second Continental Congress didn’t attract more than 30 million viewers, as Wednesday’s U.S. win over Bosnia-Herzegovina did. Blame Thomas Jefferson. He’s the one who sold the Congress’ media rights to a streaming service most folks didn’t have. HPE (Homing Pigeon Express) had way too many service interruptions and went under just before Animal Planet started.
I was able to rattle off 14 names of U.S. team members last night – correct pronunciation was optional – and that didn’t even include Tyler Adams, who is probably not related to those seditious Adams cousins, John and Sam, who represented Massachusetts in Philly.
Here’s a quick quiz. A list of 10 people. Try to determine which is a friendly name of a Founding Father and which is one of this month’s American heroes.
Bill Floyd or Joe Scally?
Steve Hopkins or Max Arfsten?
Matt Thornton or Chris Brady?
Lewis Morris or Mark McKenzie?
Ben Rush or Miles Robinson?
How did you do? Oh, right. You need the answer key. The guys listed first scored their big win first. Now how did you do?
• What else is going on this weekend besides our nation celebrating the big 250?
More World Cup matches, though the U.S. gets the weekend off to light a few fireworks in Seattle. The coach, Mauricio Pochettino, who happens to be from Argentina, will throw out the first pitch tonight as the M’s host Toronto (7:10, M’s Network). Wonder if the Blue Jay fans will boo him?
Maybe they won’t even be there this time. After all, Canada has a round-of-16 match Saturday morning at 10 against Morocco. The Jays’ fans might need their rest. That World Cup match will certainly cut into Saturday’s Canadian attendance (1:10, M’s Network), though there is a more-direct conflict with the France/Paraguay match (2 p.m., Fox).
Today’s schedule? Australia faces Gonzaga’s squad, also known as Egypt (11 a.m.) to start the day. Then Lionel Messi’s Argentina squad plays the tournament’s Cinderella, Cape Verde (3 p.m.), and Colombia takes on Ghana (6:30 p.m., all on Fox). Sunday features Brazil vs. Norway (1 p.m.) and Mexico hosting England (5, both on Fox).
I’m thinking the British’s July 5th foray in this hemisphere will end with the same result as the one 250 years ago. They’ll pack their bags after and head home. And moan about the tactics.
• One last thought. I’m glad VAR wasn’t around in 1776. I’m sure after a long review, Jefferson’s document would have been ruled offsides. His tip of his left pinky brushed the parchment as he wrote on it. Sorry, but them’s the rules. Ask Luka Modic and Croatia.
•••
WSU: Cougfan.com reported late Friday night the death of former Cougar football and radio analyst Jim Walden. The 88-year-old coach died Thursday in Coeur d’Alene. Walden was one of a kind, in the good way. And a couple different generations of Cougars could vouch for it. Those who played for him, certainly, as he guided the program from 1978-86, twice earning Pac-12 coach of the year honors. And those who only knew him through his outspoken 10-year tenure as Bob Robertson’s companion in the radio booth. Walden has been described as folksy, which he was, though his syrupy voice often coated truthful comments that were unusually candid for someone in his position. He has been, and will be, missed. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12, John Canzano wonders if there is another move out there for the conference. … JaMarcus Shephard coached for Mike Leach in Pullman. That’s why the new Oregon State coach wouldn’t mind if the Cougars moved the flex week game with the Beavers to Seattle. … Colorado State fans look back and ahead. … In baseball news, Oregon State will play four games next season in Las Vegas. The conference’s lineup of schools should be darn good. … Around the West Coast and the nation, the Big 12 is about to hold its football media days. Jon Wilner believes there is a lot to talk about. … How has Washington’s recruiting this offseason compared to last? … Colorado’s ticket sales aren’t meeting Deion Sanders’ standards. … Utah’s Morgan Scalley is all in. Always has been.
Gonzaga: In our ongoing effort to feed your need for college basketball talk, we pass along this Athletic mailbag. Mark Few is mentioned.
Idaho: Mt. Spokane’s standout Ryan Lafferty has relocated. He’s now in Idaho, where the transfer from St. Thomas is part of a large group hoping to continue the Vandals’ string of recent success. Peter Harriman has this story. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, the conference’s spine is once again pretty well anchored on Interstate 15. … Idaho State men’s basketball coach Ryan Looney’s daughter is an outstanding soccer player. … Weber State’s new coach has brought in a young roster. … Portland State added another player. … In football news, Cal Poly added a pretty successful high school player as a walk-on. … Montana’s recruiting rolls on. … New Griz coach Bobby Kennedy brought back Eric Price in an elevated role.
Indians: The timely hits just keep on coming. Seriously, the second half has started with Spokane delivering key hits on an almost nightly basis. As Dave Nichols tells us, they led to a 5-4 win in Hillsboro, the Indians’ sixth consecutive victory.
Jets: Charlie Goodwin, who played on the Allan Cup-winning Spokane Jets, died June 25th in the Valley. He was 88. Howie Stalwick has the Goodwin obituary.
Mariners: A little seventh-inning looper to short right field, where a utility man had been forced to play due to two M’s being plunked by Angel-thrown baseballs, found the grass and Bryce Miller’s no-hit bid was over. But not the game, which Miller and two relievers finished up. The 1-0 margin came courtesy of a rare-this-year Cal Raleigh RBI. Yep, Cal walked with the bases loaded. … The piggyback is coming back.
World Cup: It seems a little sacrilegious, and a lot fairer, for the U.S. not to be playing on the Fourth. It is also just the luck of the draw. Unlike one other aspect – Folarin Balogun’s red-card suspension – of Monday’s match. Luckily, Pochettino has faced a similar scenario before in a key international tournament. … It had to do with Harry Kane, who is having a great Cup for England. … Switzerland did something it hasn’t done since 1938. … Belgium and the U.S. have a World Cup history.
Storm: The little winning streak? Over. With a bang, which seems appropriate with the week it is. Against the Phoenix Mercury, which seems a bit appropriate as well.
•••
• Another head’s up for Saturday. We won’t be here. It’s a tradition for Kim and I to get out really early that day and take a hike. We go a different place each year. Not going to miss it, blah, blah, blah. OK, so I mentioned our annual visit with this area’s beautiful wilderness last night to Kim. Now I’m not sure we will be traipsing around in our well-worn boots. Until later …
•••
• Photos: The Spokesman-Review, Getty Images, Tribune News Service